ME-310 Mechanical Design: Introduction

PROJECT "A"

"Wait and (get a) C"

Competition Date: 10/2/97

Report Due: 10/3/97

TASK

Design, construct, test and modify a vehicle to negotiate the middle 10' of a 12' piece of Habitrail tubing.

OBJECTIVE

Match the announced target time (t) needed to complete a run while obeying the following constraints. Target time will be between 6 and 12 seconds. On board guidance is permitted. No extra credit will result from the use of a particular design.

CONSTRAINTS

1. Vehicle (in it's entirety) may start at any point in the starting zone.
2. Vehicle must be started by a switch of some type.
3. Two Radio Shack motors (part no. 273-233) may be used.
4. For Motor Power, a 12V wire tether may be used.
5. No other energy, beyond that supplied by the tether may be imparted to the vehicle.
6. Timing will start the moment the switch is activated.
7. Each first run must start within 2 minutes of a team's assigned start time or be forfeited.
8. No remote controls are permitted.
9. The car and any ballast must have a total weight not less than 0.75 Kg.
10. Additional rules or constraints may be announced as needed.

TESTING PROCEDURE

The competition will be held as follows: Each vehicle will make two qualifying runs and the best time will determine their first race match up. Vehicles that do not stop within the qualifying zone will not advance to match races.

MATCH RACES

Two vehicles will run one after another. Winners in the "winners" bracket advance to the next round of the "winners" bracket. Losers will advance to the "losers" bracket after their first loss and are eliminated after their second.

EVALUATION PROCEDURES

1. The winner will be the last entrant to have fewer than 2 losses.
2. Any accuracy ties will be broken using match race times